| Object ID |
T0025 |
| Object Name |
Effigy Comb |
| Description |
Seneca Elk Antler Effigy Comb;
Medium/Materials: Moose or elk antler;
Marks: At center front near base of carving there is a pattern of finely incised lines forming a series of nested V shapes, measuring 5/8"; on reverse, in black ink: "326" "C124"; |
| Dimensions |
H-3 W-2 inches |
| Early Date |
1670 |
| Late Date |
1687 |
| Place of Origin |
New York, USA |
| People |
Seneca Iroquois/ |
| Provenance |
(1) Harry L. Schoff. Probably excavated from Boughton Hill (1670-1687) site in 1930s.;
(2) Lester and Clarence Bill. Canandaigua, New York.;
(3) F. Llewylyn Casterline (1897-1983). Belmont, New York.;
(4) Jonathan Holstein. Cazenovia, New York.;
(5) Eugene V. Thaw.;
|
| History |
Scholarly Attributions:
[1] Letter from George Hamell - 16 April 1994 - "I had seen this comb and, I believe, the following combs [W009 [T25], W010 [T264]], when they were in the possession of Lew Casterline. How problematic is their attribution to the Boughton Hill site? Note, they are undoubtedly not from the adjacent Fort Hill site, which has produced little cultural material and certainly no burials which were the probable archeological contexts of these combs. For some reason, I recall that these combs were excavated from a post-Boughton Hill site - perhaps the one which Clarence Bill himself owned. I recommend further research of their provenance in the notes of Charles F. Wray and Donald G. Cameron at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. W009 [T25] It is just as probable, if not more probable, that the animals depict[ed] are panthers and reference the panther as either personal guardian spirit or warrior medicine society patron." [2] Donald Cameron - 4 June 1998 visit to museum - described the images as long-tailed
beings. |
| Used |
Seneca Iroquois |
|
